‘It’s So Much Better Than It Needs To Be’ – The Continental GT That Changed My Mind About Bentleys

I have to admit, when Bentley introduced the Continental GT in 2003, I wasn’t nearly as enamored with it as most of the automotive world. Pitted against the lovely Aston Martin DB9 and the distinctive Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, the first modern Conti looked a bit ungainly to me, with styling that betrayed the car’s surprisingly front-drive–biased platform. Over the years, my opinion on that first-gen GT has become a little kinder, and I’ve had great experiences in the graceful Flying Spur sedan, but the super-coupe still didn’t strike a chord.